The 10 Best Nintendo Wii U Games

This generation's most underappreciated home video console has some of the best games on the market. These are the Wii U games that you should own.

The eighth-generation console war is in full swing, and each system has its advantages. For Sony PS4 , it's the subscription-based PlayStation Plus service that offers a plethora of discounted games. For Microsoft's Xbox One , it's excellent exclusives like D4 and Forza Horizon 2, and the use of Kinect to grant you Starship Enterprise-like voice control.

For Nintendo's Wii U, it's the low price point, free online multiplayer, backwards compatibility with Wii games and Wii remotes, and a growing library of high-quality exclusives. The Wii U also boasts the best software lineup out of all the latest home consoles. Seriously, it does.

Say what you will about Nintendo's reliance on first-party titles, but few developers craft games that are as fun and well-designed. Many of the company's big properties and familiar faces are represented in this story, and that's just fine. Nintendo games are unique experiences, and the company's latest crop of excellent console titles can only be found on the Wii U.

Let's Discuss How You'll Play These Games
The GamePad is the Wii U's centerpiece. It's a cross between a touch-screen tablet and a traditional game controller. You can use its front-facing camera to video chat, draw, and send messages using Nintendo's Miiverse social-networking service, or use it to play Wii U games directly on the GamePad's screen while the TV is off or in use—an incredibly convenient and useful feature. And you can connect your cable or satellite TV service to Nintendo TVii, a program that aggregates all your viewing options into a handy guide to be used on the GamePad.

There are a few drawbacks. You can only use one GamePad per system. Nintendo's Virtual Console, once a major part of the Nintendo Wii experience, has fallen by the wayside. And Nintendo still lacks cross-buy, so if you want to play Super Mario Bros. 3 on your Nintendo Wii U and your Nintendo 3DS you need to buy it twice. The retail release schedule is sparse, too.

Still, the Wii U's advantages outweigh the flaws. The Wii Gamepad feels great, and the ability to play console games without the need for a TV is a spectacular feature Nintendo would do well to advertise more. Backwards compatibility is a big boon since you can play the entire Wii library with Wii controllers like the remote and nunchuck and Wii Classic Controller (even though you're stuck having to switch from the Wii U OS over to the Wii OS). Those same controllers, plus the Gamepad and Wii U Pro Controller, can be used to play Virtual Console games.

Let's Get Started
As for current-gen games, Nintendo's reputation for excellent software continues. Similar to our list of Top 10 Nintendo 3DS Games, new installments of favorite franchises return, including a blast from Zelda's past, perhaps the best Donkey Kong game ever made, and a new 3D Mario. A handful of third-party releases also show up, including crazy standouts from Capcom and Platinum Games.

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The Legend of Zelda: Wind Waker HD

The Legend of Zelda: Wind Waker HD

$49.99
Once derided as "Celda" for its cartoony, cel-shaded graphics it turns out The Legend of Zelda: Wind Waker stands the test of time thanks to confident visual design that looks even better in this 1080p HD re-release. The charming story that grows darker as it goes holds up wonderfully, and the fluid, action-oriented combat still excites. An unlockable Hero Mode (harder difficulty) and a revamped Triforce Hunt improves what was already considered the best 3D Zelda game back in 2003. This HD upgrade puts it back on top.